Episode Recap: The Musk Who Fell to Earth

Woo hoo… new episode! Elon Musk (innovator) and Homer Simpson (enervator?). While it definitely seems like a strange episode to devote an entire plotline to Elon Musk, it is what it is and recaps are more to do about the events of an episode than the weirdness of their origins. As I’ve said before, my best friend works for Mr. Elon Musk so ever since I first heard about this episode, I’ve been interested. Maybe because I had no clue how he would apply to an entire plot? Surprisingly, he does. I’ll give some more of my opinion at the end but let’s get to the recap first, shall we? I figured stream of consciousness style would work again with a rewatch to clarify my gibberish thoughts.  Without further ado… I bring you “The Musk Who Fell to Earth” (S26:E12).

– Opening sequence… eliminated other than Bumblebee Man being attacked by bees

– Ooooh baby birds… Lisa has a bird house… a majestic bald eagle verified by Homer using a quarter… oh no… THE BABY BIRDS… get the shooing broom… hitting a bald eagle is like kicking George Washington in his wooden nuts… oh no! Maggie!… oh no! Homer’s hair!… This means war… oooooh a toupee that looks just like Homer’s normal head…

– Only one thing to do… trick the eagle with Mouse Trap, bag him and ruin his majestic-ness. They could take him to Shelbyville Animal Rescue like the injured hummingbird they found in the front yard or nurse him back to health. Bart names the eagle Squawky… what a great name, like when Bart named Maggie… wait, what do you think that had to do with?

– We don’t see the family nurse the national bird but we do see them release it… Bart learned to love something bald and in comes the space ship to fry the eagle.

– “Oh my God… brace yourselfs family. We’re about to meet a being with intelligence far beyond ours. Boy, give me my baseball bat.”

– Elon Musk… possibly the greatest living inventor like the guy who put wheels on luggage. He changed the way Hollywood drives by releasing his electric car patent to the public sector. He also landed on the mailman with his spaceship.

– Elon’s an idea man… he’s traveling the country quietly by spaceship looking for ideas and has hit a dry patch.

– Maybe he’s like Lisa? “Two lost ships in the intellectual sea, each of whom could inspire the other to reach…” Homer interrupts and invites Elon to go to work with him. Seems Elon already had that idea. Funny when Homer says “and if anyone asks you something you don’t understand just say protons.” Trust me Homer, Musk knows protons.

– Homer and Elon in the pink sedan. Why the heck is Elon in the back seat? “Ass, gas or grass, no one rides for free. It’s as old as the bible.”  Elon doesn’t talk to anyone unless they provide the mental stimulation he seeks… Lisa in the car too lol… “Girl, perceptive… is father truly hers?”… Elon tries writing other ideas but all he writes is his interior monologue (sad stuff) to the point of filling the Simpsons car (like Homer I also wish they were white meatballs). Homer’s rambling give Elon lots of ideas… he’s taking Homerisms and creating his own great ideas… the most inspirational moment of Lisa’s life.

– P.S. I’m still wondering if satellite radio is cheaper if you get it in space… Elon never answered.

– Elon and Homer have a paper fight break and oh no… Wiggum shoots Lou… twice

– At the plant, Elon makes a suggestion to make the plant run better and we learn Burns actually does read from the suggestion box. Elon’s idea is good but Burns thinks it’s Lenny (the white one lol) who had the good idea. Stupid Lenny… who needs water or rubber mats in the decon shower?

– Burns meets Elon and confuses him for Henry Ford

– So Elon Musk doesn’t like facial expressions and doesn’t care about the money.

– Musk proposes increased capacity for the plant increasing profits… everything in town can be powered by electricity but Burns isn’t allowed to imagine per his doctor… enter Burns’ imaginer… very funny AND gets paid in imaginary Swiss franks

– Elon is like willy wonka without the underpaid munchkins and has a great hovercraft lunchbox

– More Homer inspired ideas… Elon: “what if we made the cream cup out of sugar so it dissolved in the coffee?” Homer: “Between your genius and my nothing, we make a great team.”  Elon may not be one for hugging but Homer’s not one for talking. A nice violin hugging moment.

– Smell the Musk… feel the Burns billboard. Elon announces his great ideas to Springfield: a hyperloop, replacing Willie pushing the wheel at Springfield Elementary with actual electricity… and Musk’s passion project, the Glavinator with approved patent… poor Frink, the prof doesn’t even know how to make a fist… “all the years of glayvinating in the basement for naught”

– “Anyone with that much money has a darkness in his soul”. Burns shows his evil snake side. Smithers doesn’t trust Musk… his ideas sound great but maybe not… release the hounds… errr, maybe Smithers shouldn’t have given his suspicions while Burns was sleeping

– Kent Brockman with a news update: The last little rascal died in Palm Springs and there’s no traffic or accidents because of Elon’s self-driving cars… hey, I want a white electric car now… oh yeah… Arnie is drunk in his self-flying news copter too

– The cars park themselves, drive themselves, wake grampa but Bart want’s to actually drive one. Thank goodness he guessed Musk’s master password: MUSKRULEZ. Bart’s driving journey… hyperloop to Cletus at the Spuckler Retransmission Grid & Roadside Corn and Springfield Power Plant: The Happiest Place on Earth (that’s 3 dizznee digs in 3 consecutive episodes if you’re counting)

– Elon and Burns at the Springfield Nuclear Quarterly Report at the SNPP. Assuming a linear growth model Burns is losing $50 million a quarter based on Elon’s plans. The purpose is to show the planet how to save itself. Burns also adores the planet especially gravity but alas, no trap doors on the stage.

– Elon Musk’s plan via Powerpoint: “No upside for years. Makes no financial sense but it’s cool. A terrible sacrifice now. That future generations may appreciate.”  Explanation verbally: “Not a trick. We sacrifice now to take care of the future in a way totally determined by me.”

COMMERCIAL

– Layoffs due to Burns recent fluctuations in judgment aka his one-time mistake of trusting another human being. Layoffs to be blamed by Elon Musk only caring about saving the world.

– Carl singing an old depression song? Unemployment line, soup line in the depression museum is now more depressed than ever, hyperloop used for homeless housing and KrustyLu Studios no longer has foley work. To top it off… Frink’s final invention… a pill that removes all grief AND attracts women was stolen by a stupid raccoon aka trash panda.

– Burns should have listened to Smithers instead of releasing the hounds on him… Burns has made the call to have Musk killed

– Homer feels bad about Elon’s pie in the sky ideas turning into lie pies… “Of all the planets in the universe, why did he have to come to this one?” Homer needs to break up with him and Marge knows exactly how to do it. Before we fear she’s practicing leaving Homer, we learn she’s gotten out of a lot of gym memberships… phew… bullet dodged unlike Lou earlier.

– Elon and Homer and Burns’ geriatric hitmen who fail to assassinate Mr. Musk but die by recoil. Elon saves Homer’s life but Homer awkwardly breaks up with his new friend anyways… he wants Elon to listen… Elon’s response of “No!” makes me giggle

– It could be the being shot at or the flat emotionless way he talks or stealing Homer’s PayPal idea but Springfield isn’t ready for Elon Musk. Elon says he’ll be fine while beaming broken hearted emojis from his chest. This time the sadness is on his face too.

– Homer did save Elon one last prize from the cracker jack box that is his brain though… “On the Miami Dolphin’s helmet the little dolphin is also wearing a helmet.” Elon: “Why are they always the most beautiful just when they’re breaking up with you?”

COMMERCIAL

– Elon headed off in his spaceship… Springfield may never forgive him but Bart now has a working lightsaber (fair deal in this Fuzzball’s opinion even if I fear for Springfield even more. What is thy bidding Darth Bart?)

– Lisa tries to stowaway on the spacecraft but Elon returns with her… he does give Lisa hope that the world of the future won’t be as grim as the forecasts of current movies in the form of a solar-powered birdhouse with fancy gadgets (way to book end the episode Simpson writers!)

– Lisa: “Hmmmmm… for a man who likes electric cars he sure burns A LOT of rocket fuel”… funniest line of the night, seriously had me laughing so hard I almost missed the next part…

– Elon in space playing Tapped Out… he never thought he’d say it but sometimes holograms miss the point. Gotta love a tiny holo of Homer saying the line about the Miami Dolphin helmets. A space tear and fade out to David Bowie’s Starman.

This is a hard one to rate for me. The first time I watched it I did laugh throughout the episode. On second and third and fourth viewing, I didn’t laugh as much but still enjoyed it. Without incriminating anyone, my best friend and I have talked about his SpaceX boss and suffice to say I think some of these jokes were a lot funnier to me than they might be to others. I definitely applaud Mr. Musk for being able to be on a show where he knew they would make fun of him. Let’s you know he has a sense of humor. On the episode reminder post, I included an article where Elon described his experience as “trippy” but it seems he may not have been prepared for the whole episode. He actually tweeted about the Lisa line about rocket fuel. Check out this article….

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/elon-musk-explains-lisa-simpson-wrong/story?id=28485590

I give this one three Dragon satellites up and one Tesla car down whatever that may mean to you. As far as guest spots go… it’s certainly not the worst (I’m looking at you Brittany Spears and Justin Bieber!!!). At least it gave the smart and savvy Simpsons writers the opportunity to discuss alternate energy. I think it’s funny how they clearly expressed their opinion without pointing to which side they were on. I dig it when the show is S-M-R-T like that so I’ll give the writers a bonus gold star.

That’s all I got to say about this episode my friends. From viewing comments on the interweb, I think this one clearly falls in the love it or leave it category. I won’t turn it off if it appears on my idiot box but I think my fifth viewing may wait a little. Stay classy and keep on tapping in the free world… starman style!

TTFN… Wookiee out!